Stress, Burnout from work to earn money just to survive.

Question

Will i accumulate unwholesomeness if i force and push myself to work just to earn money to survive.

How do i deal with laziness, mental fatigue and exhaustion when i see my work as meaningless but i had to do it just to survive.

Should i accept it as a part of suffering and things are the way it is?

Answer 1

The Noble Eightfold Path enlists Right Livelihood as a means to earn ones resources required to survive. Working to earn money to survive isn't unwholesome. In a mundane sense one does need to survive in order to pursue the Path to purify one's mind.

However, laziness, mental fatigue are unwholesome and cause us suffering. Our "work" in the spritual sense is to thoroughly understand these reactions and this is our practice of mindfulness meditation.

Understanding things are the way they are is a step towards ending the suffering that we experience, rather than viewing suffering as inevitable.

Answer 2

I think this is a common issue that most lay practitioners will face at some point, regardless of occupation.

In a relative sense, in order to live in a society which is governed by money, one must work to make a living to obtain the basics such as shelter and food. As long as the occupation is not causing harm for yourself (i.e causing you to break precepts) or others, this would not be considered unwholesome based on the "Right Livelihood" aspect of the Noble 8-Fold Path.

The aversion towards the work and subsequent mental states of laziness, mental fatigue, and exhaustion, as stated in the austin's answer, is what needs to be addressed, rather than the job itself (unless it is causing you to break precepts, then I would consider dropping the job).

When something happens at work that causes one to say "Here we go again..." or "What is wrong with that person?", or "this work is meaningless" It's actually a signal that the attention needs to turn inward and recognize the unwholesome mind states for what they are, by noting, which will help you recognizing their cause (aversion or craving), and their characteristics (impermanent, suffering, not-mine). Keep observing your reactions for what they are and the work itself will become much less of a problem.

May you find peace and freedom from suffering.

-Nick